Uber inks pact with Electronics and IT Ministry for driver training

Transportation app Uber has signed an agreement with Ministry of Electronics and IT's Common Services Centres (CSCs) for skilling drivers on its platform.

The agreement, part of its UberSHAAN initiative, will help individuals receive driver training, facilitate license procurement and vehicle financing, Uber India President Amit Jain told PTI.

He added that through this agreement, Uber aims to ensure that people who come to these Common Services Centres, especially in the grassroots, gain access to tools, training resources and related information for becoming a driver partner on the Uber platform.

"We are excited to partner with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on taking Digital India to the next level. It is our endeavour to create economic and micro-entrepreneurship opportunities for thousands of individuals in India. CSCs are the pillars of Digital India and we hope to maximise our reach through this partnership," he said.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, CSC chief executive officer Dinesh Tyagi and Prabhjeet Singh, Uber India GM (Delhi).

CSCs are ICT-enabled centres that provide individual access to Internet and computer devices, in particular, to bridge the digital divide in rural areas. The primary objective of the CSCs, currently numbering about 1.70 lakh, is to bring e-governance services within the reach of the citizens.

CSC had earlier said it would launch short duration skill programmes involving basic level, and, in some cases, advanced level courses in areas such as electrical repair, assistant motor mechanic for two-wheeler and four wheeler, welding, mobile repair and even cybersecurity, among others.

"We have fostered a relationship with Uber and people in villages can now go and register as driver partners at our CSCs. Through this partnership (between CSC and Uber), Uber will create economic opportunities for all," Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Uber plans to start the initiative with an initial pilot phase in and around Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The US-based company will kick off the partnership by identifying high potential CSCs, training them on the process and documentation and then facilitating the same for individuals who are willing to join the Uber platform.

Based on its success, Uber will expand the initiative to CSCs at the national level, Jain said.

As part of UberSHAAN, Uber aims to create 1 million livelihood opportunities in India by 2018. It has already partnered National Skill Development Corporation, Maruti, National Safai Karamchari Development Corporation as part of the programme.